Grille



May 18, 1954 c. LAcY-HULBERT GRILLE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Deo. 28, 1950 HVEHTOQ W @-M/c Q SEV, MAMMA 4L; AEH-vs May 18, 1954 c. LAcY-HULBERT 2,678,749

GRILLE Filed Dec. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AGEN-r S'.

Patented May 18, 1954 GRIILE Cyril Lacy-Hulbert, Oldbury, Birmingham, England, assigner Limited, Birmingham,

Dany

to Simplex Electric Company England, a British com- Applcation December 28, 1950, Serial No. 203,131

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 13, 1950 5 Claims. (Cl. 217-32) This invention relates to grilles of the type comprising a of which has a number of spaced transverse slots extending partly across its width from one edge, the strips or panels being assembled together to form a grille or lattice by mutual inter-engagement of the strips or panels as permitted by the slots.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of such grille wherein the grille may be folded or collapsed into a substantially at form without the necessity of employing a pliable or iiexible material for the strip components of which the grille is constructed and without the undesirable distortion of these components in the regions in which they intersect with each other. f

A further object of the present invention is to provide a construction wherein although the strip components may be formed of relatively rigid or sti material they may be assembled and taken apart without bending or damaging this material and at the same time when in assembled relation are not liable to become inadvertently displaced from their proper positions relative to each other.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of grille capable ofV being manufactured simply and without involving high cost and which can with the strip components remaining in assembled relation into a form to which the strip components lie or any substantial air spaces therebetween.

With these objects in view there is provided in accordance with the present invention a grille structure comprising two sets of strips, the strips of each set being arranged in mutually spaced parallel planes, and each strip having a series of longitudinally spaced slots extending part of the way across its width, each set of strips havingan unslotted part which is located in line with each slot disposed in a respective slot of the other set to form a collapsible lazy-tong mesh, said unslotted parts and the portions of the strips intermediate the slots forming an obtuse angle with each other and, in each strip, said unslotted parts being at least approximately parallel to each other to dene in combination with said intermediate portions, a series of steps successively in which said intermediate portions taken in progression along the length of the strip are each oiset laterally in relation to the immediately preceding intermediate portion and in the samewhereby the structure can be'- with the strips of ure-` lateral direction, extended into grille form plurality of strips or panels each be collapsed or folded.

in face-to-face relation without any.

Til

edge I5 the cranks are spective sets lying transversely to each other, or collapsed into a fiat condition.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view ing mask for use with a louvre" tion, the mask incorporating according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view, to an enlarged scale, of a portion of the mask shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a grille, constructed according to the invention, in operative position.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion of a grille, constructed according to the invention, collapsed condition.

Figure 6 is'an exploded perspective view of portions of grille strips or panels, showing details of construction.

Referring to the drawings, of a plurality of similar rectangular strips or panels I0, which may be of any suitable material, such for example, as synthetic resin, plastic, or vulcanised fibre, but are preferably of sheet metal. The grille consists of two series of strips or panels I0, with one series A disposed at right angles to the other series B when position as shown in Figures 1-4.

Each strip or panel is slotted in the usual manner at spaced intervals along its length, the slots I I (Figure 6) all extending from one edge I2 of a light-diffuslighting installaview on the line 3--3 of transversely to the centre of the width of eachv strip.

Those portions I3 of each strip in alignment with the slots II are cranked, so that adjacent iiat portions I4 (Figure 6) of the strip which are connected by a transverse cranked portion I3 are in parallel planes spaced apart by at least the thickness of the material of the strips. In each strip the cranks I3 are in the same direction, i. e. when looking upon the unslotted 4longitudinal all to the right in each individual strip and in all strips in the grille.

This direction of crank, as regards a speciiied longitudinal edge of the strips must be the same for all strips of the grille, but may be either right or left. 'i'

When the strips grille, the cranked portions are assembled nto form the I3 permit the grille to be collapsed into a at condition," in that the face toface contact.

strips or panels can make grilles constructedin partly a grille is composedA the grille is in operative 3 whilst still inter-engaged, Figure 4 showing a portion of a grille in operative position, whilst Figure 5 shows a portion of a grille partially collapsed by a. lazy-tong action. of the interengaging. strips.

In order to retain the strips in inter-engaged relationship, tongues le are provided at the slotted edges 2 of the strips of series A, each tongue bridging the mouth of a slot il and being attached to the stripuathone side. only, of the slots. In the embodiment. illustrated. Vthe tongues I6 are shown as formedinteg'rally with the strips, but they may be secured thereto, if desired. Notches il are provided in the unslotted edges I5 of the strips of series B in the trans` verse cranked portions i3, and `when the-strips.

are inter-engaged to form the grille, the tongues I6 engage in the notches il (see Figures 4 and 5).

Vmutually spaced parallel planes, and each strip having aseries of longitudinally spaced slots extending part ofthe way across its width, each set of strips having an unslotted part which is located in line withv each slot disposed in a respective slot of the other set to form a collapsible lazy-tong mesh, said unslotted parts and the por- ..tions of the strips intermediate the slots forming The cranked portions I3 of the strips of' series A are manipulated past the tongues l G of the plates of' series Bf by temporarily displacing the tongues I6 away from the mouths of the slots' by `flexing or""sprii`1ging the strips, this operation being assisted by inter-engaging the two series of strips when disposed in the relative position somewhat as -shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, i. e. at an acute angle to each other. Either series of platescould be provided with tongues, the other series having notches, andlif desired both series co'uld be provided with both tongues and notches. "Fig'u1'e's l, 2 and 3 lillustrate an application of the grilles constructed according to the invention inA which an angle-iron rectangular framework consisting of connected side members i8 and end members I9 is `provided with suspension lugs 20, the framework Abeing divided by cross-members 2| 4into s ix equal compartments each of which contains a grille, 'the whole forming a lightdiffusing mask Asuch as could louvre lighting installation.

rvfThe grilles rest' inthe'r'e'ctangular frame lof the'mask, the angle-'iron side and end members I8 and i9 supporting some ends of the strips l0 o'the grilles, the other ends being supported by thefcross-members 2l. 4As shown most clearly in vFigure 3cr" the drawings, the cross-members 2| are engaged by tongues 22 on the strip ends which they support, but the cross-members 2l could be o ifTasection (not shown) so that the provision oftongues 22 is dispensed with.

" The grille can be employed for other purposes besidesthat described, an obvious example ,being4 its use to afford individual compartments in container'l such as an egg-box. y l f The invention provides animproved `construction of grille, the collapsibility of which is advantageous both in storage and transport.

.'What I claim then is:

,1. A grille structure comprising two sets of.

strips,- the. strips of each set being formed of substantially rigid material and arranged in mutually spaced parallel planes, and. each strip having a' series of longitudinally spaced slots extendingpart of the way across its width, each set of stripshaving an unslotted part which is located in line with each slot disposed in a respective ot of the other set to form a collapsible lazytong mesh, said unslotted parts and the portions or" 4the strips intermediate the slots forming an obtuse angle with each other, and, lin each strip,

said unslotted parts being at least approximatelyparallel to cach other to denne in combination with said intermediate portions a series of steps successively in which'isaidiintermediate portions taken in progression along vthe lengtlrofy the strip. NFy

tion and in the same lateral direction, wherebyv the structure can be extended into grille form' with the strips of respective sets lying transf versely to each other, or collapsed into a iat condition, and the strips of at least one sethaving tongues located at the mouths of their slots, said tongues having vfree ends spaced fromthe edges of their respective slots to allow lsaid'unslotted parts ofthe other set of strips to be assembled edgewise through the open ends of saidv slots, while presenting anV abutment adaptedY to resist withdrawal.

3. A grille structure `comprising two 'sets'of strips, the strips of each vsetv being arranged in mutually spaced parallel planes, and each's'tripl having a- 'series of Alongitudinally vspacedl slots' extending part of the way across its'width, each set of strips having an unslotted part which'is" located in line with each slot disposed in a'respec tive slot of the other set to form a collapsible lazy-tong mesh, said unslotted parts and the portions of the strips intermediate the slots forming an obtuse angle with each other, and, in each strip, said unslotted parts being at least approxi" mately parallel to each other to dene in com bination with said intermediate portions a series of steps of depth at least equal to the thickness" of the material from which the strips are formed and successively in which tions taken in progression along the length of the `strip are each offset the' immediately preceding intermediate portion and in the same lateral direction, wherebythe structure can be extended into grill form 4with the strips of respective sets lying each other, or collapsed into a at condition.

4. A grille structure comprising two sets of strips, the strips of eachset being formed 'of substantially rigid material and arranged in rnutually spaced parallel planes, and each strip having a seriesA of longitudinally spaced slots extending part of the way across its width,each' set of strips having an unslotted part which is located in line with each slot disposed in a respective slot of the other set to form a collapsible lazy-tong mesh, said slots having a Width greater than the thickness of said unslotted parts located therein to provide lateral clearance for said unslotted parts, lsaid unslotted parts and the por tions-of the strips intermediate anobtuse angle-with veaclfrlother, and, in-jgeach said intermediate por-v laterally in relation to' transversely to thelotS- fonnine strip, said unslotted parts being at least approximately parallel to each other to dene in combination with said intermediate portions a series of steps successively in which said intermediate portions taken in progression along the length of the strip are each offset laterally in relation to the immediately preceding intermediate portion and in the same lateral direction, whereby the structure can be extended into grille form with the strips of respective sets lying transversely to each other, or collapsed into a at condition.

5. A grille structure comprising two sets of strips. the strips of each set being arranged in mutually spaced parallel planes, and each strip having a series of longitudinally spaced slots extending part of the way across its width, each set of strips having an unslotted part which is located in line with each slot disposed in a respective slot of the other set to form a collapsible lazy-tong mesh, said unslotted parts and the por- 20 tions of the strips intermediate the slots forming an obtuse angle with each other and, in each strip, said unslotted parts being at least approximately parallel to each other to dene in combination with said intermediate portions, a series of steps successively in which said intermediate portions taken in progression along the length of the strip are each oiset laterally in relation to the immediately preceding intermediate portion and in the same lateral direction, whereby the structure can` be extended into grille form with the strips of. respective sets lying transversely to each other, or collapsed into a flat condition.

References Cited in the le of this patent 

